{{short description|Airport in Devon, South West England}} {{For|the airport of the same name located in the United States|Exeter Airport (California)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2022}} {{Use British English|date=May 2013}} <!-- WHEN ADDING NEW ROUTE, OR ADDING AN END DATE FOR A ROUTE PLEASE ADD A REFERENCE, ALSO ADD THE ROUTE AND LINK ON THE CORRESPONDING AIRPORTS ARTICLE AND THE AIRLINES ARTICLE IF IT IS A NEW DESTINATION, ANYTHING WHICH IS NOT REFERENCED WILL BE REMOVED. --> {{Infobox airport | name = Exeter Airport | nativename = | nativename-a = | nativename-r = | image = Exeter Airport logo.svg | image-width = 250 | image2 = Exeter International Airport - geograph.org.uk - 4309306.jpg | image2-width = 250 | IATA = EXT | ICAO = EGTE | type = Public | owner = [[Rigby Group]] | operator = Regional & City Airports | focus_city = [[TUI Airways]] | city-served = [[Devon]], [[Cornwall]], [[Somerset]], [[Dorset]] | location = [[Clyst Honiton]], Devon | elevation-f = 102 | elevation-m = 31 | coordinates = {{coord|50|44|04|N|003|24|50|W|type:airport_region:GB-DEV|display=inline,title}} | pushpin_map = Devon#England | pushpin_label = EGTE | pushpin_map_caption = Location in Devon | website = {{Official URL}} | metric-rwy = Y | r1-number = 08/26 | r1-length-m = 2,076 | r1-length-f = 6,811 | r1-surface = [[Asphalt concrete|Asphalt]] | stat-year = 2022 | stat1-header = Passengers | stat1-data = 382,223 | stat2-header = Passenger change 21-22 | stat2-data = {{increase}}201% | stat3-header = Aircraft Movements | stat3-data = 6,386 | stat4-header = Movements change 21-22 | stat4-data = {{increase}}57% }}
'''Exeter Airport''' {{Airport codes|EXT|EGTE}}, formerly ''Exeter International Airport'', is an [[international airport]] located at [[Clyst Honiton]] in [[East Devon]], close to the city of [[Exeter]] and within the county of [[Devon]], [[South West England]]. Exeter has a [[Civil Aviation Authority (United Kingdom)|CAA]] Public Use Aerodrome Licence (Number P759) that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction. The airport offers both scheduled and holiday charter flights within [[Europe]].
In 2007, the airport handled over 1 million passengers per year for the first time, although passenger throughput subsequently declined, recovering to 931,000 passengers in 2018.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.caa.co.uk/Data-and-analysis/UK-aviation-market/Airports/Datasets/UK-Airport-data/Airport-data-2018-12/ |title=Aircraft and passenger traffic data from UK airports |publisher=[[UK Civil Aviation Authority]] |access-date=29 January 2020 }}</ref> In 2019, passenger numbers once again passed the 1 million mark, due in part to Ryanair operating several new flights to/from the airport.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.exeter-airport.co.uk/ryanair-new-flights-launched/ |title=New Ryanair flights | date= 2 April 2019| publisher= Exeter Airport}}</ref> Prior to its collapse in 2020, the airline [[Flybe (1979–2020)|Flybe]] accounted for over 80% of the airport's passenger numbers. Passenger numbers declined sharply to 148,000 in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Airport data 2020 {{!}} UK Civil Aviation Authority|url=https://www.caa.co.uk/Data-and-analysis/UK-aviation-market/Airports/Datasets/UK-Airport-data/Airport-data-2020/|access-date=1 November 2021|website=www.caa.co.uk}}</ref> Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Exeter Airport's passenger numbers have recovered to approximately 500,000 per year (as of 2024).
==Location== Exeter Airport is located {{convert|4|mi|km}} east of the city of Exeter and is approximately {{convert|170|mi|km}} west south west of London. To the south, it is connected by the A30 dual carriageway which can be accessed from the east and the M5 in the west, just {{convert|1.5|mi|km}} away. The M5 enables links to Bristol and the Midlands. There is no railway station at the airport. The closest, [[Cranbrook (Devon) railway station|Cranbrook]], is {{convert|2.2|mi}} miles away by road. There is also a bus link to [[Exeter St Davids railway station]].
==History== Exeter Airport was situated on land acquired by Exeter Corporation by compulsory purchase. It was leased and operated by [[Straight Corporation]] who also set up the Exeter Aero Club. The airfield officially opened on 31 May 1937 and operated from a "tented" terminal before the permanent buildings were complete.<ref name="SWairfields">{{cite web |title=RAF Exeter |url=https://www.southwestairfields.co.uk/page19.html |website=South West Airfields Heritage Trust |access-date=6 March 2020}}</ref> [[Jersey Airways]] immediately inaugurated a summer service of eight flights per week from Jersey in [[de Havilland DH.84 Dragon]]s. [[Railway Air Services]] ran connecting flights on to Plymouth and Bristol.
===Wartime use=== [[File:RAF Exeter 24 Mar 1944 Airphoto.jpg|thumb|Aerial photograph of RAF Exeter, 20 March 1944. The long runway is 08/26, the other two being 02/20 and 13/31. The latter two were closed at undisclosed dates.]] In the Second World War, '''RAF Exeter''' was an important [[RAF Fighter Command]] airfield during the [[Battle of Britain]]. RAF Exeter was used by the [[United States Army Air Forces]] (USAAF) [[Ninth Air Force]] as a [[D-Day]] troop transport base with [[Douglas C-47 Skytrain]] transports dropping paratroops near [[Carentan]] to land on the [[Operation Overlord|Normandy Beachhead]]. It was known as USAAF Station AAF-463.
Two brass plaques on the wall near the airport's observation lounge commemorate the activities of 3 squadrons of the [[Polish Air Forces in France and Great Britain]] that were based at Exeter during World War II, and commend their actions in defence of the city of Exeter.
====Battle of Britain==== RAF Exeter was home to the following Squadrons of No 10 Group during the Battle of Britain:
* [[No. 213 Squadron RAF|No. 213 (Ceylon) Squadron]] from 18 June 1940 * [[No. 87 Squadron RAF|No. 87 (United Provinces) Squadron]] from 5 July 1940 * [[No. 601 Squadron RAuxAF|No. 601 (County of London) Squadron AAF]] from 7 September 1940
Despite efforts at camouflage, including painting the runways, Exeter attracted the [[Luftwaffe]] and administrative and technical buildings were destroyed.<ref name="SWairfields" />
The same month that 213 Squadron arrived, the RAF established the Gunnery Research Unit at Exeter from "A" Flight of the Armament Testing Squadron.<ref name="SWairfields" /> ====U.S. use==== Exeter met the requirement of basing USAAF troop carrier groups close to where units of the [[101st Airborne Division]] were located and within reasonable range of the expected area of operations. [[File:C-47s-exeter-dday.jpg|thumb|5 June 1944 photograph of C-47s of the [[95th Troop Carrier Squadron|95th]] and [[98th Troop Carrier Squadron]]s at RAF Exeter with freshly applied black/white invasion stripes to aid in aircraft identification from the ground. There was insufficient space to park all the aircraft on the concrete, so many were parked on grass turf.]] The [[440th Troop Carrier Group]] arrived on 15 April 1944 which consisted of the: 95th Troop Carrier Squadron (TCS), 96th TCS, 97th TCS & 98th TCS, with over 70 [[Douglas C-47 Skytrain]]/[[Douglas C-53 Skytrooper]] aircraft. There were insufficient hardstandings to accommodate all the aircraft so many had to be parked on the turf, some areas being supported by tarmac. The 440th was a group of Ninth Air Force's 50th Troop Carrier Wing, [[IX Troop Carrier Command]]. The 98th TCS remained at Exeter until 7 August, when it began operating from [[RAF Ramsbury]]. On 11 September, the headquarters of the 440th TCG was established at the group's new base at [[Reims]], France (ALG A-62D), and the last of the air echelon left Exeter two days later.
===Postwar use=== [[Supermarine Walrus|Walruses]] of an RAF air-sea rescue flight were the next tenants, and these were joined by a [[Military glider|glider]] training unit early in 1945. Post-war, Exeter was reclaimed by Fighter Command and a French [[Supermarine Spitfire]] squadron, [[No. 329 Squadron RAF|No. 329 (GC I/2 'Cicognes')]], which came and stayed until November 1945. [[Gloster Meteor]]s and [[de Havilland Mosquito]]s made a brief appearance the following spring. [[No. 691 Squadron RAF|No. 691 Squadron]]'s target-towing [[A-31 Vengeance|Vultee A-31 Vengeances]], which had been present for more than a year, proved to be the last RAF flying unit of the [[Second World War]] period based at Exeter. When No. 691 Squadron departed in the summer of 1946, the station was made available for civil use, being officially transferred to the Ministry of Civil Aviation on 1 January 1947, although there was still some reserve RAF activity until the 1950s.
There is also a report that No. 3/4 Civilian Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit RAF, located at the airport, only disbanded in 1971.{{sfn|Lake|1999 |page=48}}
Scheduled services to the [[Channel Islands]] began in 1952, and charter flights to various locations followed. A new terminal building was opened in the early 1980s, and various other improvements, including a runway extension, were carried out over the following years to establish Exeter as an important airport in the [[West Country]]. Exeter was a joint RAF/civil airfield in the 1960s.
On 5 January 2007, a majority share of the airport was sold by [[Devon County Council]] to Regional and City Airports Ltd, a consortium led by construction firm [[Balfour Beatty]]. On 26 June 2013, the airport was bought by the Patriot Aerospace division of [[Rigby Group]], which also owns [[Coventry Airport]].<ref>{{cite news | title=Exeter International Airport sold to Rigby Group PLC | work=BBC News | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-23062413 | date=27 June 2013 | access-date=27 June 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130702082616/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-23062413 | archive-date=2 July 2013 | url-status=live }}</ref>
In August 2016, Exeter Airport recorded their highest passenger throughput in a single month since September 2008, with 100,374 passengers passing through its terminal. New services to Glasgow and the first route to be supported by the new Government Regional Air Connectivity fund to Norwich, contributed to a 19% increase in passenger numbers during the month of August.<ref>{{cite news | title=Best month for passenger numbers in 8 years | publisher=Exeter Airport | url=https://www.exeter-airport.co.uk/huge-19-increase-august | date=31 October 2016 | access-date=31 October 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161113032416/https://www.exeter-airport.co.uk/huge-19-increase-august/ | archive-date=13 November 2016 | url-status=live }}</ref> During 2018, the runway was resurfaced and energy-efficient LED lighting (including runway centreline lights) was installed.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.exeter-airport.co.uk/resurfacing-new-lighting-runway/|title=Resurfacing and new lighting for runway|date=3 November 2017|website=Exeter Airport|language=en-GB|access-date=1 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190501053926/https://www.exeter-airport.co.uk/resurfacing-new-lighting-runway/|archive-date=1 May 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>
In 2019, the airport was ranked fourth in the UK by ''[[Which?]]'' magazine of 30 airports for customer satisfaction, with a score of 73%.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/news/which-best-and-worst-uk-airports/|title=Revealed: Britain's best and worst airports|last=Smith|first=Oliver|website=The Telegraph|date=9 September 2019|language=en-GB|access-date=9 September 2019}}</ref>
===Royal Air Force Units=== The following squadrons were also here at some point:<ref name="ABCT" /> {{columns-list|colwidth=25em| * [[No. 16 Squadron RAF]] * [[No. 19 Squadron RAF]] * [[No. 21 Squadron RAF]] * [[No. 26 Squadron RAF|No. 26 (South African) Squadron RAF]] * [[No. 42 Squadron RAF]] * [[No. 66 Squadron RAF]] * [[No. 93 Squadron RAF]] * [[No. 124 Squadron RAF|No. 124 (Baroda) Squadron RAF]] * [[No. 125 Squadron RAF|No. 125 (Newfoundland) Squadron RAF]] * [[No. 131 Squadron RAF|No. 131 (County of Kent) Squadron RAF]] * [[No. 151 Squadron RAF]] * [[No. 165 Squadron RAF|No. 165 (Ceylon) Squadron RAF]] * [[No. 222 Squadron RAF|No. 222 (Natal) Squadron RAF]] * [[No. 225 Squadron RAF]] * [[No. 247 Squadron RAF|No. 247 (China-British) Squadron RAF]] * [[No. 257 Squadron RAF|No. 257 (Burma) Squadron RAF]] * [[No. 263 Squadron RAF|No. 263 (Fellowship of the Bellows) Squadron RAF]] * [[No. 266 Squadron RAF|No. 266 (Rhodesia) Squadron RAF]] * [[No. 275 Squadron RAF]] * [[No. 278 Squadron RAF]] * [[No. 282 Squadron RAF]] * [[No. 286 Squadron RAF]] * [[No. 307 Polish Night Fighter Squadron]] * [[No. 308 Polish Fighter Squadron]] * [[No. 310 (Czechoslovak) Squadron RAF]] * [[No. 317 Polish Fighter Squadron]] * [[406 Maritime Operational Training Squadron|No. 406 Squadron RCAF]] * [[No. 421 Squadron RCAF|No. 421 Squadron RCAF]] * [[No. 504 Squadron RAuxAF|No. 504 (County of Nottingham) Squadron AAF]] * [[No. 536 Squadron RAF]] * [[No. 610 Squadron RAuxAF|No. 610 (County of Chester) Squadron AAF]] * [[No. 616 Squadron RAuxAF|No. 616 (South Yorkshire) Squadron AAF]] * [[803 Naval Air Squadron]] * [[816 Naval Air Squadron]] * [[825 Naval Air Squadron]] * [[834 Naval Air Squadron]] * [[841 Naval Air Squadron]] }} The following units were also here at some point:<ref name="ABCT">{{cite web|url=https://www.abct.org.uk/airfields/airfield-finder/exeter/ |title=Exeter |publisher=[[Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust]]|access-date=1 October 2023}}</ref> {{columns-list|colwidth=25em| * No. 3 Civilian Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit RAF - disbanded 1 July 1954{{sfn|Lake|1999|page=48}} * [[No. 3 Glider Training School RAF]] * [[No. 4 Air Experience Flight RAF]] * [[No. 10 Reserve Flying School RAF]] * [[No. 37 Elementary and Reserve Flying Training School RAF]] * [[List of communications units and formations of the Royal Air Force|No. 78 (Signals) Wing Calibration Flight RAF]] * [[No. 84 Gliding School RAF]] * [[No. 624 Gliding School RAF]] * [[No. 1487 Flight RAF|No. 1487 (Fighter) Gunnery Flight RAF]] * [[No. 2767 Squadron RAF Regiment]] * [[No. 2790 Squadron RAF Regiment]] * [[No. 2791 Squadron RAF Regiment]] * No. 3209 Servicing Commando * HQ Western Sector RAF }}
==Airlines and destinations== The following airlines operate regular scheduled flights to and from Exeter: <!--DO NOT ADD OR REMOVE ROUTES WITHOUT GIVING A VALID independent SOURCE. EXACT DATES ARE MANDATORY FOR NEW ROUTES TO BE ADDED HERE. ALSO ADD INLINE CITATIONS IF POSSIBLE.--> {{Airport-dest-list <!-- --> |[[Aer Lingus]]| [[Belfast City Airport|Belfast–City]],<ref name="aeroroutes_241031-einw24eu">{{Cite web|last1=Liu|first1=Jim|url=https://www.aeroroutes.com/eng/241031-einw24eu|title=Aer Lingus NW24 Europe Frequency Changes – 27OCT24|website=Aeroroutes.com|date=31 October 2024|accessdate=14 March 2025|language=en}}</ref> [[Dublin Airport|Dublin]]<ref name="aeroroutes_241031-einw24eu"/> <!-- --> |[[Aurigny]]| [[Guernsey Airport|Guernsey]]<ref>{{Cite journal|author=<!-- not stated -->|journal=OAG Flight Guide Worldwide|title=Guernsey|date=November 2023|volume=25|issue=5|publisher=OAG Aviation Worldwide Limited|publication-place=Luton, United Kingdom|issn=1466-8718|language=en|pages=412}}</ref> <!-- --> |{{nowrap|[[Isles of Scilly Skybus]]}}| '''Seasonal:''' [[St Mary's Airport, Isles of Scilly|Isles of Scilly]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://businesscornwall.co.uk/news-by-industry/roads-and-transportation/2021/08/busiest-july-ever-for-lands-end-airport/|title=Busiest July ever for Land's End Airport|website=Aeroroutes.com|date=23 August 2021|access-date=6 January 2025|language=en}}</ref> <!-- --> |[[KLM]]| [[Schiphol Airport|Amsterdam]]<ref>{{cite web |title=KLM NS25 European Network Additions |url=https://www.aeroroutes.com/eng/241217-klns25eu |website=Aeroroutes |access-date=17 December 2024}}</ref> <!-- --> |[[Loganair]]| [[Edinburgh Airport|Edinburgh]],<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Liu|first1=Jim|url=https://www.aeroroutes.com/eng/240227-lmns24|title=Loganair NS24 Service Changes – 25FEB24|website=Aeroroutes.com|access-date=2 November 2024|language=en-CA}}</ref> [[Jersey Airport|Jersey]],<ref name="j248">{{cite web | title=Loganair to take over from Blue Island | website=ITV News | date=2025-11-15 | url=https://www.itv.com/news/channel/2025-11-15/logan-air-to-take-over-from-blue-island | access-date=2025-11-15}}</ref> [[Manchester Airport|Manchester]],<ref>{{cite web | url=https://travelweekly.co.uk/news/air/loganair-creates-southampton-base-with-new-manchester-route | title=Loganair creates Southampton base with new Manchester route }}</ref> [[Newcastle International Airport|Newcastle upon Tyne]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/flybe-exeter-loganair-routes-saved-3918167|title=Rival airline snaps up former Flybe routes from Exeter Airport|access-date=5 March 2020|date=5 March 2020}}</ref> <!-- --> |[[Ryanair]]| [[Alicante–Elche Miguel Hernández Airport|Alicante]],<ref name="OAG_World_Aug2023_353_353">{{Cite journal|author=<!-- not stated -->|journal=OAG Flight Guide Worldwide|title=Exeter, UK|date=August 2023|volume=25|issue=2|publisher=[[OAG (company)|OAG Aviation Worldwide Limited]]|publication-place=Luton, United Kingdom|issn=1466-8718|language=en|pages=353}}</ref> [[Málaga Airport|Málaga]]<ref name="OAG_World_Aug2023_353_353"/> <br /> '''Seasonal:''' [[Gago Coutinho Airport|Faro]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.aeroroutes.com/eng/230330-frns23|title=Ryanair NS23 Network Additions Summary – 26MAR23|website=Aeroroutes}}</ref> [[Palma de Mallorca Airport|Palma de Mallorca]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.britaintraveldeals.com/ryanair-will-launch-a-new-route-from-birmingham-bristol-cardiff-exeter-leeds-and-london/ |title=Ryanair will launch a new routes from Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Exeter, Leeds and London}}</ref> <!-- --> |[[TUI Airways]]<ref name="TUI.uk">{{Cite web|url=https://www.tui.co.uk/flight/timetable|title=Flight Timetable|website=tui.co.uk}}</ref>| [[Lanzarote Airport|Lanzarote]],<ref name="travelweekly.co.uk">{{cite web | url=https://travelweekly.co.uk/news/air/tui-adds-300000-seats-to-summer-2025-programme | title=Tui adds 345,000 seats to summer 2025 programme }}</ref> [[Tenerife South Airport|Tenerife–South]]<ref name="travelweekly.co.uk"/> <br /> '''Seasonal:''' [[Chambéry Airport|Chambéry]],<ref>{{cite web | title=New winter sun destinations for Exeter Airport | date=October 2023 | url=https://www.northdevongazette.co.uk/news/home/1310492/new-winter-sun-destinations-for-exeter-airport.html }}</ref> [[Corfu International Airport|Corfu]],<ref>{{cite web | title=TUI to expand Exeter flights to Spain, Turkey and Greece in 2025 | date=5 January 2025 | url=https://www.devonlive.com/whats-on/whats-on-news/tui-expand-exeter-flights-spain-9834889 }}</ref> [[Dalaman Airport|Dalaman]],<ref>{{cite web | title=Regional gateway - Commercial flights return to Bournemouth and Exeter | date=24 June 2020 | url=https://www.regionalgateway.net/commercial-flights-resume-at-bournemouth-and-exeter-airports-in-the-uk/ }}</ref> [[Gran Canaria Airport|Gran Canaria]],<ref>{{cite web | title=New winter sun destinations for Exeter Airport | date=October 2023 | url=https://www.northdevongazette.co.uk/news/home/1310492/new-winter-sun-destinations-for-exeter-airport.html }}</ref> [[Heraklion International Airport|Heraklion]],<ref>{{cite web | title=TUI to expand Exeter flights to Spain, Turkey and Greece in 2025 | date=5 January 2025 | url=https://www.devonlive.com/whats-on/whats-on-news/tui-expand-exeter-flights-spain-9834889 }}</ref> [[Ibiza Airport|Ibiza]],<ref name="travelweekly.co.uk"/> [[Kos International Airport|Kos]],<ref>{{cite web | title=TUI launches direct flights to Kos from 3 new airports | TUI Group - One of the world's leading tourism groups | url=https://www.tuigroup.com/en/newsroom/news/tui-launches-new-direct-flights-to-kos-from-3-new-airports }}</ref> [[Menorca Airport|Menorca]],<ref>{{cite web | title=Flights with TUI | Thomson now TUI Airways | url=https://www.tui.co.uk/flight/timetable }}</ref> [[Palma de Mallorca Airport|Palma de Mallorca]],<ref>{{cite web | title=TUI to expand Exeter flights to Spain, Turkey and Greece in 2025 | date=5 January 2025 | url=https://www.devonlive.com/whats-on/whats-on-news/tui-expand-exeter-flights-spain-9834889 }}</ref> [[Paphos International Airport|Paphos]],<ref>{{cite web | title=TUI to expand Exeter flights to Spain, Turkey and Greece in 2025 | date=5 January 2025 | url=https://www.devonlive.com/whats-on/whats-on-news/tui-expand-exeter-flights-spain-9834889 }}</ref> [[Rhodes International Airport|Rhodes]],<ref>{{cite web | title=TUI to expand Exeter flights to Spain, Turkey and Greece in 2025 | date=5 January 2025 | url=https://www.devonlive.com/whats-on/whats-on-news/tui-expand-exeter-flights-spain-9834889 }}</ref> [[Zakynthos International Airport|Zakynthos]]<ref>{{cite web | title=TUI to expand Exeter flights to Spain, Turkey and Greece in 2025 | date=5 January 2025 | url=https://www.devonlive.com/whats-on/whats-on-news/tui-expand-exeter-flights-spain-9834889 }}</ref> <!-- --> }}
==Other tenants== * Corporate aviation services including a private lounge are provided by XLR Executive Jet Centre<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.xlrjetcentres.com/locations/exeter|title=Exeter|last=XLR|website=XLR|access-date=13 April 2020}}</ref> *There is one flight training organisation based at the airport: Aviation South West,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.aviationsouthwest.com/|title=Flight Training & Flight Experiences in Exeter|website=Aviation South West|language=en-GB|access-date=13 April 2020}}</ref> which offers a range of training from the Private Pilot Licence to the Commercial Pilots Licence and Instrument Rating. *Dublin Aerospace operates the Exeter Aerospace hangar which provides base maintenance services on multiple aircraft, such as: ATR 42 family; Bombardier DHC - 8 Family; & Embraer ERJ 170 & 190 Series aircraft. * Iscavia Ltd is based in Hangar 49, on the North-Side of Exeter Airport and provides aircraft maintenance, avionics, airworthiness certification, hangarage, aircraft parts, help and advice. * [[Devon Air Ambulance]] and [[National Police Air Service]] (NPAS) share a purpose-built facility on the northern side of the airfield, having vacated the police headquarters at Middlemoor, Exeter in 2014.<ref>{{cite news | title=New helicopter base for Devon police and air ambulance service | work=Exeter Express & Echo | url=http://www.torquayheraldexpress.co.uk/new-helicopter-base-devon-police-air-ambulance/story-21086476-detail/story.html | date=12 May 2014 | access-date=12 May 2014 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140513014743/http://www.torquayheraldexpress.co.uk/New-helicopter-base-Devon-police-air-ambulance/story-21086476-detail/story.html | archive-date=13 May 2014 | df=dmy-all }}</ref>
==Statistics== [[File:Exeter Airport check-in area - geograph.org.uk - 6172532.jpg|thumb|Terminal interior]] [[File:Exeter Airport from the air - geograph.org.uk - 1388180.jpg|thumb|Aerial view]] <!--{{Airport-Statistics|iata=EXT}}--> The ten busiest routes by air passenger numbers are listed below. {|class="wikitable sortable" |+ Busiest routes to or from Exeter (2024)<ref name="routestats">{{cite web |url=https://www.caa.co.uk/data-and-analysis/uk-aviation-market/airports/uk-airport-data/uk-airport-data-2024/annual-2024/ |title=Airport Data 2024 |date=23 March 2025 |publisher=UK Civil Aviation Authority |at=Tables 12.1(XLS) and 12.2 (XLS) |access-date=8 June 2025 }}</ref> |- ! Rank || Airport || Total <br />passengers || Change<br />2023 / 24 |- |1|| [[Palma Airport|Palma de Mallorca]]||align='right'|52,943||{{increase}} 46.3% |- |2|| [[Alicante Airport|Alicante]]||align='right'|39,504||{{increase}} 36.7% |- |3|| [[Belfast City Airport|Belfast–City]]||align='right'|39,828||{{decrease}} 2.4% |- |4|| [[Málaga Airport|Málaga]]||align='right'|27,778||{{decrease}} 3.0% |- |5|| [[Dublin Airport|Dublin]]||align='right'|27,762||{{increase}} 10.0% |- |6|| [[Jersey Airport|Jersey]]||align='right'|27,477||{{decrease}} 2.6% |- |7|| [[Edinburgh Airport|Edinburgh]]||align='right'|27,405||{{increase}} 14.2% |- |8|| [[Tenerife South Airport|Tenerife–South]]||align='right'|21,122||{{decrease}} 0.0% |- |9|| [[Arrecife Airport|Lanzarote]]||align='right'|20,627||{{decrease}} 21.6% |- |10|| [[Faro Airport|Faro]]||align='right'|20,417||{{increase}} 39.3% |}
==Accidents and incidents== *On 19 January 2021, a [[West Atlantic]] [[Boeing 737-400]] freighter having just performed flight NPT05L from East Midlands Airport made a very [[hard landing]] at Exeter Airport, causing multiple creases in the [[fuselage]]. The aircraft was [[Hull loss|written off]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=20 January 2021|title=West Atlantic 737 seriously damaged in landing incident at Exeter|url=https://ukaviation.news/west-atlantic-737-seriously-damaged-in-landing-incident-at-exeter/|access-date=25 January 2021|website=UK Aviation News|language=en-GB}}</ref>
==See also== * [[List of Royal Air Force stations]] * [[List of former Royal Air Force stations]] * [[South West Aviation]]
==References== ===Citations=== {{Reflist}}
===Bibliography=== {{refbegin}} * Freeman, Roger A. (1978) Airfields of the Eighth: Then and Now. After the Battle {{ISBN|0-900913-09-6}} * {{cite book |last1=Lake |first1=A |title= Flying units of the RAF |year=1999 |publisher= Airlife |location= [[Shrewsbury]] |isbn= 1-84037-086-6}} * Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. {{ISBN|0-89201-092-4}}. * {{Air Force Historical Research Agency}} {{refend}}
==External links== {{commons category-inline}} * {{Official website}}
{{Portalbar|United Kingdom|Devon|Aviation}} {{Exeter}} {{Airports in the United Kingdom}} {{Royal Air Force stations in Devon}} {{USAAF 9th Air Force UK}}
[[Category:Airports in Devon]] [[Category:Buildings and structures in Exeter]] [[Category:Air Transport Command airfields in the European theatre of World War II]] [[Category:Airfields of the IX Troop Carrier Command in the United Kingdom]] [[Category:Transport in Exeter]]